• Committee on Exceptional Admissions to the Register
• Disciplinary Sub-Committee
• Investigating Sub Committee
• Professional Conduct Committee

Committee on Exceptional Admission to the Register

This committee is responsible for functions relating to applications for registration from teachers trained out with Scotland.

It also reviews and administers the principles and practices governing applications from teachers trained outside of Scotland.

Disciplinary Sub-Committee

This sub-committee hears cases relating to allegations of teacher’s misconduct, involvement in a criminal offence or competence.

The possible outcomes of these hearings can be:

• make a finding of not guilty and take no further action
• impose no sanction
• issue a reprimand
• make a conditional registration order
• removal from the register
• mark on the register as suspended (the suspension is not a sanction but a temporary measure until the final disposal of the case is made. It means that the teacher can remain employed in their current post but cannot take up a new teaching post with any local authority)
• refuse to grant an application for registration
• refer to Scottish Ministers for them to consider whether or not the respondent has harmed a child and his/her name should be included in the list of persons unsuitable to work with children under section 4 of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 (does not apply to cases of serious professional incompetence).
• The sub-committee can also temporarily suspend a teacher's registration as a safety measure

Investigating Sub-Committee

This sub-committee investigates whether there is a case to answer in relation to allegations of teacher’s misconduct, involvement in a criminal offence or competence.

It can determine that:

• There is no case for the teacher to answer and take no action
• It is not just to refer the case to the disciplinary sub-committee but issue a warning letter
• there is a case to answer and refer the case to the disciplinary sub-committee
• the case should be deferred for more information
• The sub-committee can also temporarily suspend a teacher's registration as a safety measure

Professional Conduct Committee

This committee is responsible for formulating and reviewing the Council’s policy concerning the professional conduct of teachers including overseeing the work of the Disciplinary and Investigating sub-committees.

Appeals Board

The Appeals Board hears appeals against decisions of other committees including the Professional Standards Committee, Investigating and Disciplinary Sub-Committees, Professional Conduct Committee and Committee on Exceptional Admission to the Register.

Audit Sub-Committee

This is a sub committee of the Council’s Finance and General Purposes Committee. It was established to enable audit issues to be examined in more detail than was possible at meetings of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. The sub-committee advises and makes recommendations to the Committee on the following:

• the selection, appointment and remuneration of the auditors
• plans and reports from the auditors, together with management responses
• reviewing the Council's statutory accounts
• matters relating to changes in accounting policies
• issues relating to the Council's internal control systems and the internal audit function

Education Committee

This committee is responsible for all educational aspects of the Council’s work including:

• entry standards to teaching
• formulating recommendations to Scottish Ministers on teacher supply
• matters concerning further education
• providing a forum for educational debate
• responding to key consultation documents
• co-ordinating the Council’s research strategy

Finance and General Purposes Committee

This is an advisory committee which is responsible for:

• the general control of the financial affairs of the Council
• effectiveness of our internal control systems, including risk management and the internal audit function
• ICT strategy
• personnel matters
• property
• supervision of the Register of Teachers
• our election scheme

Policy and Strategy Committee

This committee deals with all policy and strategic issues including how we communicate with the profession and with other stakeholders. It makes sure that we carry out our functions in line with our agreed strategic objectives.

Professional Standards Committee

This committee is responsible for matters relating to the Standards that set out the competencies required of students, probationer teachers, registered teachers, chartered teachers and those undertaking the award of the Standard for headship.

As well as this, it is also responsible for matters relating to CPD, probation and how we grant provisional and full registration.

The committee also oversees the work of the three Professional Standards panels, the National Assessment panel and the Standard for Headship panels.

National Assessment Panel

The membership of this Panel includes a Convener elected by the Professional Standards Committee and Assessors approved and appointed by (but independent from) the Council to support and assess claims by teachers for the professional award of the Standard for Chartered Teacher via the Accreditation Route. The panel:

• assesses claims made by teachers for the professional award of the Standard for Chartered Teacher via the Accreditation Route

Standard for Headship (Pilot) Professional Interview Panel

As part of the Flexible Routes to Headship pilot project, the membership of this panel includes a Convener appointed by the Professional Standards Committee, two headteachers and one other representative from local authorities participating in the pilot exercise, and the external Assessor who has assessed a submission by a teacher recommended for the professional award of the Standard for Headship.

The Panel:

• conducts a professional interview (on the basis of the range of personal qualities and interpersonal skills on which headteachers draw in leading effectively as set out in the Standard for Headship) with a teacher recommended for the professional award of the Standard for Headship

Professional Standards Panels

Three Professional Standards panels are drawn from the membership of the Professional Standards committee.

The panels:

• adjudicate cases relating to the provisional registration and professional recognition/registration, of teachers
• scrutinise Initial Teacher Education, Chartered Teacher and Standard for Headship programmes/modules to decide whether or not they should be accredited by the Council.